Possibly a silly question

[RM Photography]

Greetings!

I joined the site a while ago, but didn't have the time to go exploring. One of my friends shares all of our interests on abandoned and derelict buildings.

Obviously there's some well known places, but how do you all find the more hidden ones - for example I've seen a couple of buildings in the middle of fields.

Then, there's the places like BBC Tatsfield. Google brings up no results as to the location of this and I'm drawing a blank. How do you all go about reccying online to find places - or do you use old maps?

 

[Mikeymutt]

I will often research old places what don't show on google earth.or you think might be gone.you would be shocked how many still stand.I have spent hours researching..some of the best finds have been just driving about.so many on google are so easy to find.build up a network of friends too.I get given a lot and give back too with people I trust

 

[HughieD]

The clue's in the name...by exploring. Go out driving. Go out walking. Look at Google maps. Look at old maps. Look at the "Buildings at Risk" register.

 

[Sam Haltin]

What you could do is go to the National Library of Scotland website and click on "Side by Side Viewer", this would give you an old map on the left hand side and an updated map on the right of your screen. If you choose an old map from the drop-down menu then you can move around to see what was there on the left to what is now present on the right. NLS website National Library of Scotland - Map Images

 

[mookster]

If you're seriously into searching for places like me you can spend hours, days, weeks looking for abandoned things to go and photograph.

A lot of the stuff in the UK is relatively easy to find with a certain amount of googling, things abroad are a little different.

 

[ironsky]

Estate agents windows sometimes have the odd derelict, auctions sites these can give you access to the site on open days. Newspaper reports on the Net about abandoned places, YouTube Urbex channels ,Google Earth these are the sort of thing I use or if really struggling get in the car and drive to the nearest city I sure their will be site just for you.

 

[krela]

It's also always worth remembering that failure is always an option. Even the most experienced person will have days when they either can't locate what they're looking for, or when they get there it's been locked down, etc. It's just an occupational hazard, failure goes with the territory.

 

[Mikeymutt]

Yeah failure for sure.the amount of times I have failed to locate somewhere..or got somewhere and walked away because it is sealed

 

[The_Derp_Lane]

I've always been letdown half the time, occasionally I try the same place again and succeed. It's just an average part of exploring.

 

[mookster]

It's also always worth remembering that failure is always an option. Even the most experienced person will have days when they either can't locate what they're looking for, or when they get there it's been locked down, etc. It's just an occupational hazard, failure goes with the territory.

Too true.

I know people who get really angsty and annoyed if something is a fail, whereas they don't bother me because there is always another day to try it and I've had so many fails over the years - stuff sealed up, demolished, tactical retreats due to heavy secca, wrong time of day etc I don't let them get to me! I've had entire days where nothing has gone right, that's just how it goes sometimes.

 

[RM Photography]

Thanks for all the replies!

Yeah, I used to work in an estate agents, but the most derelict places we had were hoarders selling their homes and I couldn't really get away with going in with 2 cameras xD

I actually found somewhere near me, dug out my camera and found out I'd accidentally left some batteries in there! Let's see if I can fix this corrosion...

 

[prettyvacant71]

I often miss that elusive window of opportunity with places being sealed up, or I often get caught, redev or worse demoed. There's a lot of luck as well as research involved in exploring, Ive been known to visit sites many times that are over 200 miles away just to get chucked out after 5mins, that hurts lol especially when you make it back and its just rubble!
Just don't give up if you really want to see a place, often demo tenders can be helpful to check